American english file 5 student book

SECOND EDITION

American

ENGLISH FILE
Online Practice

Christina Latham-Koenig
Clive Oxenden

OXFORD


American

ENGLISH FILE
Christina Latham-Koenig
Clive Oxenden

Paul Seligson and Clive Oxenden are the original co-authors of
English File 1 and English File 2

OXFORD
U N IV E R SIT Y PRESS


Contents
Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

1
4

A What motivates you?

discourse markers ( 1 ): connectors

work

word stress and rhythm

8

B Who ami?

have

personality; family

rhythm and intonation

12

H 4 COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH 1 Family secrets, On the street

2
14

A Whose language is it?

pronouns

language terminology

sound-spelling
relationships

18

B Once upon a time

the past: narrative tenses, used to,
and would

word building: abstract nouns

word stress with suffixes

22

REVIEW AND CHECK 1 & 2

3
24

A Don't get mad, get even!

get

phrases with get

words and phrases of
French origin

28

B History goes to the movies

discourse markers (2): adverbs and
adverbial expressions

history and warfare

stress in word families

32

■ < COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH 2 & 3 Fact or fiction?, On the street

4
34

A Breaking the silence

speculation and deduction

sounds and the human voice

consonant clusters

38

B Lost in translation

adding emphasis ( 1 ): inversion

describing books

words with “silent"
syllables

42

REVIEW AND CHECK 3 & 4

distancing

time

linking

unreal uses of past tenses

money

eaand ear

5

44

A

48

B Do you have Affluenza?

52

Are there 31 hours in a day?

COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH 4 & 5 Women and money, On the street


Contents
Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

verb + object + infinitive or gerund

compound adjectives

intonation in polite
requests

conditional sentences

phone language; adjectives +
prepositions

sounds and spelling: ///,
/tf/,/3/,/d3/

6
54

A Help yourself

58

B

62

REVIEW AND CHECK 5 & 6

Can't live without it

Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

7
64

A Who's in control?

permission, obligation, and
necessity

word formation: prefixes

intonation in
exclam ations

68

B Just any old bed?

verbs of the senses

place and movement

extra stress on important
words

72

M i COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH 6 & 7 Art and artists, On the street
8

74

A Trick or treatment?

gerunds and infinitives

health and medicine; similes

word stress

78

B A moving experience

expressing future plans and
arrangements

travel and tourism

homophones

82

REVIEW AND CHECK 7 & 8
9

84

A Pets and pests

ellipsis and substitution

the natural world

weak and strong
pronunciation of auxiliary
verbs and to

88

B A recipe for disaster

nouns: compound and
possessive forms

preparing food

-ed adjective endings and
linking

92

COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH 8 & 9 Cooking around the world, On the street
10

94

A The promised land?

adding emphasis (2): cle ft
sentences

words that are often confused

intonation in cleft
sentences

98

B Sports on trial

comparison

word building: adjectives, nouns,
and verbs

homographs

102

REVIEW AND CHECK 9 & 10

104

Writing

118 Communication

123

Listening

158

Vocabulary Bank

138

Grammar Bank

168 Sound Bank


I
owe my s u c c e s s to having listened
respectfully to the very best advice, and then
going away and doing the exact opposite.

G discourse m arkers (1): co nn ectors
V work
P word s tre s s and rhythm

1A

What motivates you?

G.K. Chesterton,
English poet and novelist

1 R E A D IN G & S P E A K IN G
a Think o f a person you consider to be successful.
What makes you think they are successful? What,
in your view, are the reasons for their success?

b Read the article and match the headings with the
paragraphs. There is one heading you don’t need.
A

A fierce spirit

B

Being my own person

c Read the article again and write the initials (e.g., AP) o f the
person next to the questions below.
W ho...?
1 □ found it hard to manage on their own
2 □ was motivated by the same desire until they became successful
3 □ thinks that a conflict helped them become stronger
4 I i was made fun o f by a member o f their family
5 □ is grateful for something their parents did wrong

C Learning from my m istakes
D

Needing to show them they were wrong

6 HD asked a parent for advice
7 □ learned an important lesson from a parent

E

The courage to go out and seek my fortune

8 M was treated in the same way at school and at work

I didn’t get where I am today without...
Successful people talk about their inspiration and motivation

From The Times

c
Ann Patchett,
US novelist

4

Revenge is a terrific motivating force for young
creative people and it certainly kept me going
right through to the publication of my first novel.
I learned to read late, and as a result the nuns
at my school in Tennessee had me marked
down as being somewhere between slow and
stupid. They taught me for 12 years and even
after I'd caught up and gotten smarter, I was
still thought of as dumb. “They’ll be sorry when
they discover I’m a great writer," I'd say to myself.
“In retirement, the single thing they'll be most
proud of will be that they had me as a student."
And so it continued right through into the
workplace where, in my first teaching job after
leaving graduate school, the male head of the
department would come to me whenever the

secretarial staff were off. “Type this up for me,
will you, Ann?’ he’d say habitually. “One day,” I
would think, gritting my teeth, “One day...”
dum b /cl,\m/ adj. GEO sm art NAmE stupid
graduate school noun NArnE U S college for
post-graduate studies

I E Marcus Wareing,
UK chef
There must have been something unique
or, at least, different about me as a boy,
because I recall it would sometimes amuse
my brother and his friends to throw cans
at me. Why? Because of the clothes I wore,
which they didn’t like, or because I wouldn’t
do whatever it was that they wanted me
to, or just because it was fun. But being
different is fine. It was my father who
encouraged in me the notion that I and I
alone am responsible for my own life, for
what I do and don't do, for my opinions and
beliefs, and it’s proved to be a great source
of strength. I'm often asked if I read and
take notice of critics. Which ones? Those
who love the work? Who hate it? Or are
indifferent? As a director, as in life, you have
to know your own mind and be prepared to
stick to your guns.

One of my instructors at Southport

Catering College knew Anton Edelmann,
the chef at the Savoy, and recommended
me to him. I was very nervous about leaving
my comfort zone and coming to London.
I was a loner who’d never made friends
because I was always working, and I was
happy enough being alone and busy.
But I did come to London, and even though
it was a very tough environment, I worked
like a real trouper and was very quick to
learn. The hardest part was being away
from my family and having to deal with
other people while having no management
or interpersonal skills whatsoever. So I
called my dad every day, to fill him in on the
good and bad, and ask him how he would
deal with this or that.

Southport
the Savoy

a tow n in northwest England

one o f London’s most
prestigious hotels


d Talk in small groups.

L E X IS IN C O N T E X T

1 From reading the text, what
impression do you get o f the
four people's personalities?

e Look at the highlighted phrases and guess the meaning o f the ones you
don’t know from the context. Then match them with the definitions 1-7.

2 Which o f them do you most
identify with? Why?

2 __________________ m o (informal) to refuse to change your mind about
sth even when other people are trying to persuade you that you are wrong
3 __________________ in one way

1 __________________ to know what you want or like

3 What or who motivates you...?
• in your work or studies

4 __________________ (colloquial) the working or living environment in
which we fed safe and unthreatened
5 __________________ rnrz> to be determined to continue to do sth in a
difficult or unpleasant situation
6 ___ 'n (on)_________ ramro to tell sb about what has happened

• to improve your English
• to improve other skills, e.g.,
sports, music, other activities
(give examples)

7 __________________ nmE» (with sb) to reach the same level or standard
as sb who is better or more advanced
f

Choose five more words or phrases from the text that you think are useful,

g Read the information about looking up idioms in a dictionary.
Looking up idioms in a dictionary
You can usually find the definition o f an idiom under one o f its “full” words
(nouns, verbs, adverbs or adjectives, but NOT prepositions and articles), in
a section marked, for example, nrrtv So the definition o f stick to your guns
will probably be given under stick or guns.

A

After some very common verbs, e.g., be, get and adjectives, e.g., good,
bad, the idioms are usually under the entries for the next “full” word.
Phrasal verbs
are always after the main verb, e.g., get back and get
over would be under get.
h Now look at the following idioms with mind. W hat do you think they
mean? Check with a dictionary.

EE Paulo Coelho,
Brazilian writer
The family is a microcosm of society.
It’s where your spirit and beliefs are first
tested. My mother and father wanted
only the best for me and my sister,

but had very rigid ideas of what that
“best” should be. For me to become a
lawyer or even an engineer would have
satisfied them, but a writer? Never. I was
a determined and rebellious kid, though,
and having failed to change my mind by
conventional methods, they looked for
more dramatic and extreme ones. In a
sense, though, I thank them for that. I
wouldn’t have gotten where I am without
fighting to live the life I wanted for
myself. I tong since forgave them. We all
make mistakes, parents included.

sp e a k your m ind

mind your own b u sin e ss

c ro s s your mind

be o f tw o m inds ab o u t sth

2 G RA M M A R discourse markers (1): connectors
a Without looking back at the text, with a partner try to remember how these
sentences continue. Don’t worry if you can’t remember the exact words.
1 Ann Patchett: “I learned to read late, and as a result..
2 John Malkovich: “It would sometimes amuse my brother and his friends
to throw cans at me. Why? Because o f...”
3 M arcus W areing: “But I did come to London, and even though...,
I worked like a real trouper and was very quick to learn.”

4 M arcus W areing: “So I called my dad every day, to ...”
b Compare your answers with the text,
c W hich o f the bold connectors in a introduces...?
1 a result
as a result
2 a reason __________

3 a purpose __________
4 a contrast __________

d V" p.138 Grammar Bank 1A. Learn more about connectors, and practice
them.
e

12))) Listen to the sentences. When the speakers pause, write down how
you think the sentences might continue.

f

13))) Now listen to the whole sentences. Are they similar to what you wrote?

3 ı 4>)) S O N G The Anthem

Online Practice

1A


4 S P E A K IN G & L IS T E N IN G
a A survey by Chiumento, a human resources

consulting firm, established the ten factors that
make people happy at work. W ith a partner,
try to agree which are the two most important
and the two least important factors.

Working where the grass
is always greener

What m akes people happy at work?
□ Being part o f a successful team.
IZ] Doing something rewarding,
θ Doing varied work.
□ Earning a competitive salary.
C] Doing enjoyable work.
□ Feeling that you are making a difference.
□ Having a good boss or manager.
□ Having a good work-life balance.

EH Having friendly, supportive co-workers
□ Having your achievements recognized.
Source: Chiumento's Happiness at Work Index

b The survey also established some other factors
related to being happy at work. With your partner,
discuss whether you think the following are probably
true or false according to the research, and say why.
1 Statistically there are more happy people at work
than unhappy people.
2 Employees o f bigger companies or organizations are
happier than those who work for smaller companies.

3 Men are generally happier than women with their work.
4 Full-time workers are happier than part-time workers.
5 People with higher positions in a company are
happier than the people below them.
6 The longer you stay in one job, the happier you become.
7 Workers over 55 are the happiest.
c

15))) Now listen to a radio program about
the survey and check your answers to a and b.
Were you right?

d Look at the photos and read the short article about
innocent drinks. Does it look like a company you
would like to work for? Why (not)?

6

In a Sunday Times survey, innocent drinks w a s found to be one o f
th e co m p an ies w ith th e h a p p ie st e m plo yees. T h is London-b ased
co m p a n y w a s s e t up by th re e co lle g e stu d e n ts in 1 9 9 9 and
sta rte d o ff m akin g sm o o th ie s, a drink m ade w ith fru it ju ice and
yogurt. It now e m p lo ys over 2 0 0 people, and h a s added ve g e ta b le
p o ts to its pro d u cts. T h e co m p a n y c a lls its e lf “in n o ce n t” b e ca u se
it only u s e s pure fre sh ingredients. P art o f its m arketing s tra te g y
is to use delivery v a n s w hich are d e co ra te d to look like c o w s or
g r a s s y fie ld s. Th e co m p a n y a lso prides its e lf on b ein g “a happy
p la ce to w ork” and “people-orientated/’ w ith a relaxed w orking
environm ent, w hich in clu d es h avin g a g r a s s floo r in th e office!

*

V

y.


e

1 In general, does she agree that there is a happy and
relaxed working atmosphere at innocent drinks?
2 Does she mention any downsides?
f

skills and qualifications
beingfired and being laid o ff
getting a raise and getting promoted
g ood job prospects and good opportunities fo r advancement

16))) Now listen to the second part o f the program
where Becka Walton, who works for innocent drinks, is
interviewed. Answer the questions.

Listen again, pausing after each o f Becka’s answers.
Answer questions 1 -6 with a partner.

being out o f work and being o ff work

6 P R O N U N C IA TIO N word stress and rhythm
a Underline the stressed syllable in the bold words.

I managed to get a challenging and motivating job.
I don't have any qualifications or experience.
There's no job security and I could be laid off.
I’ve had a very rewarding career in publishing.
The job has a competitive salary and excellent benefits.
It's a stimulating work environment with good
opportunities for advancement.
7 The employees don't enjoy the work, since it’s very monotonous.
8 After she retired, she did volunteer work at her local hospital.

1
2
3
4
5
6

1 What made Becka apply for a job at the company?
2 What example does she give o f how the company
creates a team environment?
3 What examples does she give o f the relaxed
atmosphere?
4 What does she say about staff turnover?
5 Does she agree that a competitive salary is not an
important factor in determining job satisfaction?
6 What does Becka say about the company's product?
g Now listen again with the audioscript on page 123. Is
there anything you found difficult to understand? Why?
Listening to English in the media
Try to listen to as much English as you can outside

class in a format you can listen to repeatedly,
e.g., a website, a podcast, a video clip, or a DVD.
A good way o f getting the most out of it is:
• first listen and try to get used to the speaker(s) and
get a general idea o f what they are talking about.

b

c Listen again and focus on the rhythm o f the sentences.
Which words are not stressed in the sentences? Practice
saying the sentences with good stress and rhythm.

7 S P E A K IN G
a Think about two jobs you could talk about. Use the
questions below to help you. Add any other information
that you think is relevant. Use the words and phrases in
Vocabulary Bank W ork p .1 5 8 to help you.

• then listen again, pausing and checking that you
understand the main points.
• listen again with an audioscript or English subtitles,
if they are available, to help you figure out what you
didn’t understand (maybe because o f the speaker’s
accent or speed, or use o f vocabulary).

A job you would love to do
What do you think the advantages o f the job would be?
What makes you think you might be good at it?
Do you know' anyone who does it?
Can you think o f any drawbacks?

A job you would hate to do
What do you think the downsides o f the job would be?
Do you know anyone who does it?
Have you ever done anything similar?
Can you think o f any positive aspects of the job?

h Do Becka’s answers confirm that you would / wouldn’t
like to work for innocent drinks? Why (not)?

5 V O C A B U L A R Y work
a Match the two halves o f the expressions used in
the interview.
1 short-term
2 work-life
3 work

b

A balance
B salary

18))) Listen and check.

b

19))) Listen to two people doing the task. W hat pros and
cons do they mention? W hat two “noises” do they use to
give themselves time to think?

c Work in groups o f three. Take turns describing the jobs you

would love to do.

4 staff

C turnover
D contracts

5 competitive

E environment

d Now do the same for the jobs you would hate to do.

17))) Listen and check. With a partner, say what you

e Decide which o f the jobs described you think is the
most attractive.

think the expressions mean.

c > - p.158 Vocabulary Bank Work.
d With a partner, explain the difference between...
a demanding job and a challenging job
wages and salary
a profession and a career

8 W RITIN G
> - p. 104 Writing A jo b application. Analyze an email in
response to a job advertisement and write a cover letter.

Online Practice

1A


I've learned th at you can te ll a lot about a person by
the way he / she handles th e se three things: a rainy d ay
lost luggage, and tangled Christm as tree lights.

G have
V personality; family
P rhythm and intonation

IB

Maya Angelou,
American author

Who am I?

1 R E A D IN G & S P E A K IN G

2 G RAM M AR have

a Look at the adjectives that describe personality below. With
a partner, say if you consider them to be positive or negative
qualities, and why. Would you use any o f them to describe yourself?

a Match sentences 1 -8 with A -H .
1

2
3
4
5
6
7
8

cautious conscientious curious easygoing independent logical
loyal mature quiet rebellious self-sufficient sensitive

b With a partner, read the questionnaire on page 9 and each
circle the answer that best describes you. Try to guess the
meaning o f any unfamiliar words or expressions.

A I think it's because he doesn’t have any brothers
or sisters.
B He often has lunch with us, but he never pays.
C He’s got to make an effort to be more open-minded.
D He has a real tendency to argue with people in authority.
E He has been working at the same job for 15 years.
F He hasn’t been to a party in year's.
G He has to write everything down otherwise he
forgets things.
H He has his blood pressure checked every week.

c >• Com m unication W ho a m I? p.118. Find out what personality
type you and your partner have and read the descriptions. How
accurate do you think the description o f your personality is?

L E X I S IN C O N T E X T
Collocation
Collocation is the way words combine to provide natural-sounding
speech and writing, e.g., we say a rough itinerary, not an approximate
itinerary. Noticing and recording words that go together will
improve the accuracy and fluency of your speaking and writing.

d Complete the questions with a verb from the list in the right form.

b With a partner, look at sentences A -H and answer
the questions.
1 In which sentences is have
a) a main verb b) an auxiliary verb?
2 What implications does this have for making
questions and negatives?

All these collocations appear in W h alsy o u r personality type?
catch

face

ge t

go with

hurt

keep

make

plan

tell

1 Do you usually__________ your vacation a long time
in advance, or at the last minute?
2 What do you do if you’re reading a text in English and you
stuck on a particular word?
3 Do you always__________ sure that you have your cell phone
with you when you leave the house?
4 When you’re shopping for clothes, do you usually buy the
first thing that__________ your eye, or do you look at a lot
o f things before you make a decision?
5 When you have to make a decision, do you usually__________
your gut feeling, or do you ask other people for advice?
6 Do you tend t o __________ problems head on, or do you try
to avoid conflict?
7 In what situations do you think it's better to __________
a white lie in order not to __________ people's feelings?
8 When you reply to a friend's email, do you usually write a lot
o r __________ it short?
e Ask and answer the questions with a partner.

f Choose five more words or phrases from the questionnaire
that you think are useful for you.

8

He's not very sociable.

My dad’s so absentminded!
My brother-in-law’s not very ambitious.
He’s kind o f a hypochondriac.
My nephew is a little egocentric.
He's incredibly intolerant.
Chris is so rebellious!
I think our boss is kind o f stingy.

c >• p.139 Grammar Bank IB . Learn more about have,
and practice it.

d

With a partner, for each o f the sentences below say if
it’s true for you or not and why.
• I can’t stand having my picture taken, and I’d hate
to have my portrait painted.
• 1have lots o f friends online (some o f whom I’ve
never met), but I only have a few close friends that
I see regularly face-to-face.
• I’ve never bought a CD from a store. I download all
my music from the Internet.
• I’m very competitive. Whenever 1 play a sport or
game 1 always have to win.
• I’ve got to find a way to exercise more. I’m really out
o f shape.
• I have a few possessions that are really important
to me and that I would hate to lose.
• I’ve been learning English for so long that it’s
getting difficult to motivate myself.

WHAT’S YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE?
PLANNER OR SPONTANEOUS

HEADS OR HEARTS

1 A re you...?
a a p e rfe c tio n is t w h o h a te s le a v in g th in g s u n fin ish e d
b so m e o n e w h o h a te s b e in g under p re s su re and te n d s to
o ver-prepare
c a little d iso rg a n ize d and fo rg e tfu l
d so m e o n e w h o p u ts t h in g s o f f u n til th e la s t m inute

7

2

8 Im a gin e y o u had th e c h o ic e b e tw e e n tw o a p a rtm e n ts to

Im agine you have b o u gh t a piece o f furniture th a t requires
a sse m b ly (e.g., a wardrobe or a cabinet). W hich o f th e se are
you m ore likely to do?
a C h e c k th a t you h ave all th e ite m s and th e to o ls you ne ed
b e fo re yo u sta rt.
b C arefully read th e in stru ctio n s and follow them to th e letter,
c Q uickly read th ro u gh th e in stru c tio n s to g e t th e b a sic idea
o f w h a t you h ave to do.
d S t a r t a s s e m b lin g it rig h t aw ay. C h e c k th e in stru c tio n s
o n ly if you g e t s tu c k .

3 B e fo re you go on v a c a tio n , w h ic h o f th e s e do y o u do?
a P la n e ve ry d e tail o f your vaca tio n .
b P u t to g e th e r a rough itinerary, b u t m a ke su re you leave
y o u rs e lf p le n ty o f fre e tim e.
c G e t an idea o f w h a t k in d s o f th in g s you c a n do, b u t n o t
m a ke a d e cisio n u ntil you g e t there,
d B o o k th e v a c a tio n a t th e la s t m in u te and p lan hardly
a n y th in g in a d v a n c e .

FACTS OR IDEAS
4 > • Com m unication What can you see? p.118
W hich o p tio n b e s t d e s c rib e s w h a t y o u w ro te dow n?
a
b
c
d

It's b a sic a lly a list o f w h a t a p p e a rs in th e p icture.
It te lls th e s to ry o f w h a t’s h a p p e n in g in th e p icture,
It trie s to e xp la in w h a t th e p ictu re m e a n s,
It’s a lot o f id e a s th a t th e p ictu re m a d e you th in k of.

5 You need to give a friend directions to your house. Do you...?
a
b
c
d

w rite dow n a list o f d e ta ile d d ire ctio n s

se n d a lin k to a w e b site th a t p ro v id e s d ire ctio n s
g iv e rough d ire ctio n s
draw a sim p le m ap sh o w in g o n ly th e b a s ic d ire ctio n s

6 When you go shopping a t th e superm arket, do you...?
a
b
c
d

a lw a y s go dow n th e sa m e a is le s in th e sa m e order
c a re fu lly c h e c k p ric e s and co m p a re p ro d u c ts
b u y w h a te v e r c a t c h e s your e ye
g o aro u n d a d iffe re n t w a y e a c h tim e, a c c o rd in g to w h a t
y o u w a n t to buy

If an a rg u m e n t s t a r t s w h e n you a re w ith frie n d s,
do you...?
a fa c e it h e ad on and s a y w h a t you th in k
b t r y to find a so lu tio n y o u rse lf
c t r y to ke e p e ve ryo n e h a p p y
d do a n y th in g to avo id h u rtin g p e o p le ’s fe e lin g s
ren t. W ould you...?
a w rite dow n w h a t yo u r id eal a p a rtm e n t w o u ld be like
and th e n se e w h ich o n e w a s th e m o s t sim ilar
b m a ke a lis t o f th e p ro s a n d c o n s o f e a c h one
c ju s t g o w ith your g u t fe e lin g
d c o n sid e r c a re fu lly how e a c h a p a rtm e n t w ould a ffe c t
o th e r m e m b e rs o f yo u r fa m ily

9

Im agine a frien d o f y o u rs s ta r te d g o in g o u t w ith
so m e o n e new, a n d th e y a s k e d y o u fo r yo u r opinion.
If y o u re a lly d id n 't like th e p e rso n , w o u ld you...?
a te ll th e m e x a c tly w h a t you th o u g h t
b be h o n e st, b u t a s t a c t fu l a s p o ssib le
c try to avo id a n sw e rin g th e q u e stio n d ire ctly
d te ll a “w h ite lie”

EXTROVERT OR INTROVERT
10 Yo u are o u t w ith a gro u p o f frie n d s. Do you...?
a
b
c
d

s a y hard ly a n y th in g
s a y a little le s s th a n m o s t pe o p le
t a lk a lot
do n e arly a ll th e ta lk in g

11 W hen you m e e t a new g ro u p o f p eople, do you...?
a t r y to s t a y w ith pe o p le you a lre a d y know
b h ave to th in k hard a b o u t how to ke e p th e
c o n v e rsa tio n g o in g
c t r y to g e t to know a s m a n y p e o p le a s p o ssib le
d ju s t tr y to e n jo y y o u rse lf
12 If th e ph o n e rin g s w h ile y o u are in th e m id d le o f
so m e th in g , do you...?

a
b
c
d

ign o re it and c o n tin u e w ith w h a t you're doing
a n sw e r it q u ickly, b u t s a y you'll c a ll b a ck
h ave a c o n ve rsa tio n , b u t m a ke su re you ke e p it sh o rt
w e lco m e th e in terru p tio n and enjoy a n ice lo n g c h a t

Online Practice

IB

9


3 L IS T E N IN G & S P E A K IN G

a Look at the painting The Family o f Carlos IV by Goya and
answer the questions with a partner, giving your reasons.
1 In the painting you can see the king, the queen, and their
six children (three sons and three daughters). Who do you
think is the eldest son and heir to the throne?
2 Now try to identify the king's sister and brother. Which
ones do you think they are?
3 Who do you think the woman (5) is and why might she
be looking away?
4 The queen’s brother is also in the picture. Who do you
think he is?

5 Who do you think is probably the most important person
in the family?
6 Who do you think the man (2) in the background on the left
might be?
b

10

1 10))) Listen to an audio guide telling you about the
painting and check your answers to a.

c Listen again. Which o f the king's children...?
A
D

Fernando B Maria Isabel
Carlota E Maria Luisa

C

Francisco

1 had an arranged marriage
2 eventually became a king /queen
3 had a similar personality to their mother
4 did not look like their father
5 married someone related to the Queen
d Imagine that you are going to have a portrait o f your
family painted. Decide who you want in it and where
they are going to stand, and make a rough diagram.

e Show the diagram to your partner and explain who
the people are and say something about each o f
them, including their personality.


4 V O C A B U L A R Y family
a Look at the family portrait again. What is the relationship
betw een...?
10 and 7
brother-in-law and sister-in-law
6 and 12 ___________________________
8 and 4 ___________________________
13 and 9 ___________________________

5 P R O N U N C IA TIO N & S P E A K IN G
rhythm and intonation
a Work in groups o f three or four. You are going
to debate some o f the topics below. Each student
must choose a different topic and make brief
notes about what he or she thinks.

Children are left far too much on their own
nowadays. It would be better if one parent
didn't work and stayed at home to take care of
the children after school.

b > - p.159 Vocabulary Bank Family.
c Test your memory. Take the quiz with a partner.

Working parents should not use their own parents

to look after their children. Grandparents should
be allowed to relax and enjoy their retirement.

Family quiz
W hat do you call...?

1 your g ra n d m o th e r’s m other
2 all your relative s, inclu ding a u n ts, uncles,

Your parents brought you up, so it's your
responsibility to take care of them when they’re old.

c o u sin s, etc.
3 a fa m ily w here th e re is only a m other
or a fa th e r

In the 2 1st century, friends are the new family.
It’s better to be an only child than to have
brothers and sisters. You get all your parents'
love and attention.

W hat's th e d iffe re n ce betw een...?
4 a stepbrother and a half-brother
5 a nuclear fa m ily and an extended fam ily

6 take after your fa th e r and look like

The family is a trap from which it can be difficult
to escape.

your fa th e r
Replace th e highlighted phrase w ith an idiom.
7 My s is te r and m y co u sin don't sp e a k to
e a ch other.

8 My brother and I don’t have th e sam e
opinions ab o u t politics.
9 Who is th e dom inant sp o u se in their
m arriage?
10 Th ey're a stra n g e fam ily. I'm sure th e y
have a fe w dark se cre ts.

b

1 ID)) Listen to the phrases and underline the
stressed syllables. Then listen again and repeat
them, copying the rhythm and intonation.
agreeing
1 I definitely agree.
2 I totally agree.
3 That's what l think, too.
4 Absolutely!
half-agreeing
5 I see your point, but...
6 l see what you mean, but...

d Answer the questions below with a partner. Try to use the
bold words.
• Who do you tak e a fte r in your fam ily? In w h a t w ay?
• Who are you clo se st to in your fam ily?

7 I agree up to a point, but...
disagreeing
8 I completely disagree.
9 I don't agree at all.

• Is th e re anyone in your fa m ily you don’t g e t along with?
• Are th e re a n y su b je c ts on w hich you don't see eye to eye with
o th er m em b e rs o f your fam ily?
• Are th e re any people in your fa m ily w ho aren’t on

speakin g term s?
• Are there any p h ysica l c h a ra c te ristic s th a t run in your fam ily?
• How o fte n do you have fam ily g e t-to g e th e rs? Do you
enjoy them ?

c Have a short debate on the topics you have each
chosen. The person who made the notes should
give their opinion first, and then the rest o f the
group says what they think. Try to use language
from the box in b to agree or disagree with the
other people in your group.

• Is th e re a black sheep in your fam ily?

Online Practice

IB

11

1

Colloquial English

VIDE0 T H E IN T E R V IE W Part 1

Family secrets

VIDEO

a

Part 2

113))) Watch or listen to part 2. What does he say
about...?
1 his first time at Ellis Island
2 finding the documentation for his father’s side
3 his great uncle and how he helped the rest o f the family
immigrate to the US
4 unexpected information he found out
5 how his parents met in New York
6 his advice for people who want to research their
family trees

a

Read the biographical information about David

Torchiano. Why do you think he was interested in
finding out about his family background?
D a vid To rch ia n o is an amateur genealogist who has spent
many years researching his fam ily tree. He was born and
raised in New York City. His mother's side of the fam ily is from
Croatia and his father's side of the fam ily is from Southern
Italy. He currently works for The New York Tim es and has his
own analytics start-up company as well as a sushi supper club.

b

1 12))) Watch or listen to Part 1 o f an interview with
him. Mark sentences 1-5 below T (true) or F (false).
1 One o f the reasons David started researching
his family history was because he never met his
grandparents on his mother's side.
2 David begins his research by talking to distant
family members.
3 David believes that the Internet doesn't help the way he
uses other resources.
4 David has used online message boards to overcome
obstacles he has encountered.
5 David's main resource for obtaining official
documents is local offices.

c

Now listen again and say why the F sentences are false.

b Answer the questions with a partner.

1 From David’s interview', what impression do you get
about the process for researching family trees?
2 Do you think it’s an easy process? Why (not)?
3 W hat hurdles might a person face?
Glossary
Ellis Island an island in upper New York Bay that served as a

former US immigration station from 1892 to 1954. Ellis Island
also has documentation on the millions of immigrants who
passed through the station. The documentation includes
passenger records that outline arrival information, passenger
details, and the ship of travel.
political asylum /pa'litikl a'saibrn/ protection that a government
gives to people who have left their own country, usually
because they were in danger for political reasons,
refugee camp /refyu'd3i kajmp/ a place where people who have
been forced to leave their country or home live temporarily in
tents or temporary buildings,
melting pot a place or situation in which large numbers of
people, ideas, etc. are mixed together


2 LO O K IN G A T L A N G U A G E
O

a

Phrasal verbs
D avid T o rch ian o u s e s p h ra sa l v e rb s t h a t m a k e s his
in te rv ie w le s s fo rm al. P h ra sa l v e rb s are a co m b in atio n

o f a ve rb p lu s a p a rtic le (p re p o sitio n or adverb).
Th e p a rtic le can c h a n g e th e m e a n in g o f th e verb
c o m p le te ly and th e p h ra sa l ve rb c a n h ave a m ean in g
t h a t is d iffe re n t from th e individual w o rd s in iso latio n.

3
a

114))) Listen to some extracts from the interview and
complete the phrases.
1 And the more that I went to _____________________ it,
the more interesting the stories became to me.

Aurelia

Jam e s

Tim

b Listen again. W ho...?
1 □
2 □

4 ... I was able to find on my dad’s side when his
great uncle_____________________ a lot o f the
documentation that, or the documentation when he
actually_____________________ .
5 When I _____________________ his documentation it
was a very emotional moment.

b Listen to the interview again with the audioscript on
page 124. W hat do you think the phrasal verbs mean?

ON T H E S T R E E T

115))) You are going to hear four people talking
about their family trees. W hat three questions do they
answer? W ho has personally done some research into
their family tree? W ho seems to know least about it?

Brent

2 And then I started to _____________________ from
there using Ancestry.com or you know, different
resources.
3 You know, even just going to the public library and
seeing if I could_____________________ documents
that way.

6 And slowly but surely he was able to bring the
majority o f the family, who at the time was living
in Southern Italy which at that time there wasn’t
much_____________________ in Southern Italy...
7 ... you know, the whole family started to
_____________________ and my mom became very
close with my would be grandmother, or her would be
mother-in-law.

VIDEO

3 □

has a parent who is from a different place than
their grandparents

4 U

has family who went to a specific place to
do research
has family living in Canada
would like to know what pastimes one o f their
ancestors had

5 □
6 □
7 □
a

has ancestors whose lives were saved because they
were ill
has twins in their ancestry

has an ancestor who was an athlete

116))) Listen and complete the phrases with two or
three words. W hat do you think they mean?
Useful phrases
1 ...due to the m easles they had t o _____________
_____________ a t the la s t minute.
2 I know a ____________________________ about my

fam ily tree.
3 My m other and her siste r have researched her fam ily
__________________________________________ so I know a
bit from them...
4 I only k n o w ____________________________my
grandparents...

4 S P E A K IN G
Answer the questions with a partner. Practice using
phrasal verbs and where possible the useful phrases.
1 Have you ever researched your family tree? Why (not)?
2 How much do you know about your family tree?
3 Do you think it’s important for people to know about
their ancestry? Why (not)?
4 Can you think o f any reasons why people might not
want to research their family backgrounds?

Online Practice

13


If English is suppo sed to be th e lingua

G p rono uns
V la n g u a g e te rm in o lo g y
P s o u n d -s p e llin g re la tio n sh ip s

2A

franca, how com e there's no word
in English for lingua franca?

anonymous

Whose language is it?

1 R E A D IN G & S P E A K IN G
a Do you think these statements are probably
true or false?
1 40 percent o f the world’s population can
communicate in English reasonably well.
2 Most conversations in English today are between
non-native speakers.
3 In business meetings and international
conferences conducted in English, non-native
speakers prefer it when there is no native
speaker present.
b Read the first part o f the article Whose language?
and check your answers to a.

c Before you read the second part o f the article, with a partner
correct the mistakes in sentences 1 -6 below. Do you ever make
any o f these mistakes? How important do you think they are?
1
2
3
4
5
6

“I think the movie start at 8:00.”
“Is there restaurant in the hotel?”
“I think the women usually talk faster than the men.”
“My friend gave me some very good advices.”
“I called to my brother but his cell phone was turned off.”
“We discussed about global warming in class yesterday.”

d Now read the second part o f the article and answer the questions.
1 Which o f the mistakes in sentences 1-6 above are mentioned in the text?
2 Does the writer of the article think that grammatical correctness matters
a) in written English b) in spoken English?

Whose
language?
ow m any people can speak English? Som e experts estim ate
that 1.5 billion people — around one-quarter of the world's
population — can com m unicate reasonably w ell in English.

H

Never in recorded history has a language been as widely spoken
as English is today. The reason why m illions are learning it is
sim ple: it is the language of international business and therefore
the key to prosperity. It is not ju st that m ultinational com panies
such a s Microsoft, Google, and Vodafone conduct their business in
English; it is the language in which the Chinese speak to Brazilians
and Germ ans to Indonesians.

From the Financial Times

David Graddol, the author o f English Next says it is tem pting to
view the story of English sim ply as a triumph for its native speakers
in North Am erica, Britain and Ireland, and A ustralasia — but that
would be a m istake. G lobal English has entered a more com plex
phase, changing in ways that the En glish -sp eakin g countries
cannot control and m ight not like.

14

A n im portant question one m ight ask is: whose English w ill it be
in the future? Non-native speakers now outnumber native English
speakers by three to one. The m ajority of encounters in English
today take place between non-native speakers. A ccording to David
Graddol, many business m eetings held in English appear to run
more sm oothly when there are no native English speakers present.
T h is is because native speakers are often poor at ensuring that they
are understood in international discussions. They tend to think they
need to avoid longer Latin-based words, but in fact comprehension
problems are more often caused by their use of colloquial English,
especially idioms, metaphors, and phrasal verbs. On one occasion,
at an international student conference in Amsterdam, conducted in
English, the only British representative was asked to be “less English”
so that the others could understand her.

rofessor Barbara Seidlhofer, Professor of English and
Applied Lin gu istics at the U niversity of Vienna, records and
transcribes spoken English interactions between speakers
of the language around the world. Sh e says her team has noticed
that non-native speakers are varyin g standard English gram m ar

in several ways. Even the m ost com petent speakers som etim es
omit the “s ” in the third person singular. Many om it definite and
indefinite articles where they are required in standard English,
or put them in where standard English does not use them. Nouns
that are not plural in native-speaker English are used as plurals
by non-native speakers (e.g., “ inform ations,” “knowledges,”
“a d vices”). Other variations include “make a discussio n,”
“d iscu ss about som ething,” or “phone to somebody.”

P

Many native English speakers w ill in sist that these are not
variations, they are m istakes. “ Know ledges” and “phone to
som ebody” are sim ply wrong. Many non-native speakers who
teach English around the world would agree. But language
changes, and so do notions of gram m atical correctness.
Th ose who in sist on standard English gram m ar remain in a
powerful position. A cadem ics who want their work published in
international journals have to adhere to the gram m atical rules
followed by native E n glish -sp ea kin g elites.
But spoken English is another matter. Why should non-native
speakers bother with what native speakers regard a s correct?
Th eir main aim, after all, is to be understood by one another, and
in m ost cases there is no native speaker present.
Professor Seidlhofer says, “I
think that what we are looking
at is the emergence of a new
international attitude, the
recognition and awareness
that in m any international

contexts non-native speakers
do not need to speak like
native speakers, to compare
them selves to them, and thus
always feel ‘less good.'”


L E X IS IN C O N T E X T
Being aware o f register
When you read a formal text you will often find words and phrases that
the dictionary lists asform al. When you record them, make a note of the
neutral /informal alternative, e.g., ensure (formal), make sure (neutral).
e Look at the highlighted words in both parts o f the text. They are
all formal in register. Match them to their neutral equivalents below.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

f

__________verb to be (still)
__________adj. bad
__________ verb to do

__________ verb to follow
__________noun idea
__________verb to leave out
__________verb to need
__________verb to look at
__________adj. so
__________ verb to write down

Answer the questions in small groups.
1 To what extent do you agree that...?
• when non-native speakers of English talk to each other, they should not
worry about making mistakes as long as they can communicate
• non-native speakers do not need to speak like native speakers, nor
should they feel inferior to them
• certain grammar mistakes should be considered variants o f English,
not mistakes
2 How important is it to you to be able to ...?
• speak English accurately
• write accurately in English
• pass international tests in English
• read academic texts or literature in English
• communicate with native speakers o f English
• communicate with non-native speakers o f English

2 G RAM M AR pronouns
a Are the b o ld pronouns right (/) or wrong (X)? Correct any
mistakes. Which o f the mistakes (if any) do you think interfere
with communication?
1 Can the person who has not turned o ff their phone please
do so immediately?

2 It used to be a movie theater near here, but it closed down.
3 We’ve known each other for years, since we were children.
4 I never use an electric razor when I shave myself. I prefer the
old-fashioned kind.
5 Two men were sitting in the cafe, talking to themselves about the game.
6 David himself admitted that he should never have spoken to her
like that.
7 They have a terrible relationship. They don’t understand one other
at all.
8 One never knows what the future holds.

b V- p.140 Grammar Bank 2A. Learn more about pronouns, and
practice them.

3 S P E A K IN G
a

1 17))) Look at some useful phrases for
giving your opinion in English. Underline
the words that you think have extra stress.
Listen and check.
Emphasizing that something is your
own opinion
6 In my view...
1 I’d say that...
7 I feel that...
2 If you ask me,...
8 My feeling is
3 Personally, I think
that...

that...
4 Personally speaking,... 9 As far as I’m
concerned...
5 In my opinion,...

b Read some comments from around the
world about learning or using English.
Compare wirh a partner and say if you
think the situation is the same or different
in your country, and how you feel about it.
Use the expressions from a.
“If you ask me, the one thing that
would really improve the level of
English here would be if they stopped
dubbing all the American TV programs
and movies, and had them in English with subtitles
instead. But I don’t think they’ll ever do it. The
politicians wouldn't dare.”
Maite, Spain
“In my opinion, nowadays public
figures should really be able to
speak good English. I feel really
embarrassed when I hear how some
of our politicians or athletes speak."

Rie, Osaka, Japan
“Personally I think that pop groups in
my country shouldn’t sing in English.
I mean, I know it's more universal, but
not everybody in Brazil understands

English. I think they should sing in Portuguese.”

Marcelo, Curitiba, Brazil
“In some universities in my country,
they are now teaching other
subjects in English, apart from the
normal English language classes. In
general I think it’s a really good idea — as long as
the teachers’ English is good, o f course.”

Alejandro, Santiago, Chile
“In Italian they use a lot of English
words like weekend, stress, OK, cool,
know-how, words like that. I personally
hate it. I think we should use our own
words for these things, not just borrow
from English. And people even use some words
that don't exist, like footing, when the English word
is jogging."

Paola, Milan Italy

Online Practice

2A

15


4 L IS T E N IN G & S P E A K IN G

a You’re going to hear Cristina from Romania and Pun from
Thailand, who both live in the US, talking about their
experiences o f being non-native speakers o f English. Before you
listen, check that you understand the words in the glossary.

5 V O C A B U L A R Y language
terminology
a Match the words with their definitions.
collocation colloquial an idiom a metaphor
a phrasal verb register slang a synonym

hit it out of the park m eet a goal even m ore than w as expected. T h is
expression com es from baseball, w hen the b all is hit so far that it flies
outside o f the ballpark or stadium.

slam dunk som ething that is achieved easily. T h is expression com es from
basketball, w hen a player jum ps above the basket and “dunks” it in the
hoop w ithout opposition.

1 ___________ noun a group o f words with a
different meaning from the meanings o f the
individual words, e.g., to put your fo o t inyour
mouth (= to say something inappropriate and
embarrassing)

b Answer the following questions with a partner.
1 Do you find it easier to understand native or non-native
speakers o f English?
2 How do you feel about having your English corrected?
c

1 18))) Now listen to Cristina and Pun answer the questions.
W hat do they say? W ho do you identify with most? Why?

2 __________ noun a frequent combination of
words in a language. It is often the only possible
combination to express a concept, e.g., heavy rain
(not strong rain)
3 ___________ noun the style o f written or spoken
language that is appropriate for the situation
(formal, informal, neutral), e.g., Canyon lend me
fiv e bucks? (informal) Should you requirefurther
assistance... (formal)
4 _________ noun a verb combined with an adverb
or preposition, or sometimes both, to give a new
meaning, e.g., throw away, look fo r, make up fo r

Cristina

Pun

d Answer the following questions with a partner.
3 Do you have any funny or embarrassing stories related to
misunderstanding someone?
4 Is there anything you still find difficult about English?
e

1 19))) Now listen to Cristina and Pun answering the
questions. Answer the following questions with a partner.
5 What anecdotes do they tell?

6 What do they still find difficult? Do you agree with them
about what is difficult?

5 __________ noun very informal words and
expressions that are more common in spoken
language, especially used by a particular group
o f people, e.g., teenagers. They often go in and
out o f fashion very quickly. They can sometimes
cause offense. I had to walk home. I didn’t have
enough dough (= money) f o r a taxi.
6 __________ adj. (of language) words and phrases
used in conversation or writing to friends but
not in formal speech or writing, e.g., kids
(= children),you know what I mean, etc.
7 __________ noun a word or expression that has
the same or nearly the same meaning as another,
e.g., lately /recently
8 ___________ noun a word or phrase not used
literally, hut used to describe sb /sth in a more
graphic way and to make the description more
powerful, e.g., When she heard the doorbell ring,
she f e w to answer it. (= she ran fast, she didn't
literally fly)
b Take the Language quiz on page 17 with a partner.
All the words and expressions are from File 1.

16


LanauaaeMHU

Q

6 P R O N U N C IA T IO N sound-spelling
relationships

Idioms

According to research, when a non-native speaker
is talking to another person in English, the main
reason for a breakdown in communication is incorrect
pronunciation — often the mispronunciation of
individual sounds.
Although many people think that English pronunciation
has no rules, especially regarding sounds and spelling,
estimates suggest that around 80 percent o f words are
pronounced according to a rule or pattern.

Can you remember what these idioms mean?
1 If you really think you're right, you should stick to your guns.
2 When you talk to your boss, I think
you should speak your mind.
3 It started to rain harder, but we
gritted our teeth and continued on.
4 My husband and I don't see eye to
eye about our children's education.
5 I don't think there's any doubt
about who wears the pants
in their family!

Q

Phrasal verbs

a With a partner look at the groups o f words and say them
aloud. Are the pink letters all pronounced the same, or is
one word different? Circle the different word if there is one.

Replace the word or phrase in italics with a phrasal verb that means the
same. Use the bold verb.

1 /h/
2/oo/
3/ai/
4/w/

1 I've missed a few classes so HI need to get back to the same level as

the other students, ca tch _________
2 We'll have to postpone the meeting until next week, p u t _________
3 Your daughter doesn't look or behave
like you at all! ta k e _________
4 After her mother died, she was taken
care of until she was older by her
grandmother, b rin g _________

5 /d3/
6 /tJ/
7/s/
8/ o/
9 /or/

10 h r /

5 My son wants to be a pilot when he

becomes an adult, grow_________

Q

Synonyms and register

a Match the words or expressions 1-8 with synonyms A-H.
1 one
A follow
2 so
B perks
3 because of
4 benefits
5 omit
6 however
7 adhere to
8 need

C
D
E
F

but
consequently
you

owing to

G require
H leave out

b Which word is more formal in each pair?

Q

Collocation

Circle the right word in each pair.

b

hurt heir adhere hardly himself
throw7 elbow lower power grow
alike despite river transcribe quite
whenever why whose where which
jealous journalist reject job enjoy
change achieve machine catch charge
salary satisfying spontaneous synonym sure
awful saw flaw drawback law
short corner work ignore reporter
firm dirty third T-shirt require

1 20))) Listen and check. W hat’s the pronunciation rule?
Can you think o f any more exceptions?

c Cover the phonetic spellings and definitions, and use

your instinct to say the words below. Then uncover and
check the pronunciation and meaning.
whirl
/war]/ verb, noun m verb 1 to m o v e, o r m ak e sb/ sth m o v e
around quickly in a circle o r in a p articu lar d irectio n sy n spin

jaw
Id jp l noun • noun 1 [C] e ith e r o f th e tw o b o n e s a t the
b o tto m o f th e fa c e th a t c o n ta in th e te e th and m o v e w h en
y o u ta lk o r ea t

1 I fully /completely disagree with you.
2 The main disadvantage of working here is that there's no job

safety /security.
3 I'm very near /close to my cousin Claudia - we tell each other everything.
4 I have some distant /far relatives in Turkey, but I've never met them.
5 He really hurt/damaged my feelings when he criticized the way I dressed.

workshop
/ˈ w ork Jap/ noun ■ noun 1 [U] a r o o m o r b u ild in g in w h ich
th in g s a re m a d e o r re p a ired u sin g to o ls o r m a ch in e ry

hierarchy
/'haiararki/ noun ■ noun 1 [C, U] a sy ste m , e sp ecia lly in a
s o c ie ty o r o r g a n iz a tio n , in w h ich p e o p le a re o rg a n iz e d in to
d iffe r e n t levels o f im p o r ta n c e fro m h ig h e st to low est

Online Practice

2A

17


When you finally go b ack to your old
hometown, you find it w asn’t th e old home
you m issed but your childhood.

G th e past: narrative te n se s, used to and would
V w ord building: a b s t r a c t nouns
P w ord s t r e s s w ith s u ffix e s

S a m Ewing, American writer

Once upon a time
1 R E A D IN G
a

Read some extracts where different people recall
aspects o f their childhood. Choose the heading which
best fits each text. There are two headings you
don’t need.
Washing
Sickn e ss

Fears
School

First love

Sundays

Food
Ambitions
Toys and gam es

My bad dream s were o f two kinds, those
about sp e cte rs and those about in se cts. The
latter was, beyond com parison, the worse: to
this day I would rather meet a gho st than
a tarantula.

Their dream, and this went on quite far into my
professional life, was that I would be the best
at music school but not quite good enough
fo r a concert career. I would then go back to
Japan, live with them, teach piano and make a
lot of money, because it can be very lucrative.
And I'd play one recital a year where they could
turn up with great pride and people would
say "Mr. Uchida, aren't you lucky with your
daughter?"

C.S. Lewis British author of The Chronicles of

Narnia

I w as one o f a group of boys who sat on the
floo r o f our p ro fe sso r's office fo r a w eekly
lesson in "spoken English." One day the

p ro fe sso r put a large sheet of white paper
on the wall. The paper had a little black dot
in the right-hand corner. When the p rofesso r
asked, "Boys, what do you see?" we all
shouted together ”A black dot!" The p rofesso r
stepped back and said, "So, not a single one
o f you saw the white sheet of paper. You only
saw the black dot. Th is is the aw ful thing
about human nature. People never see the
go odness o f things, and the broader picture.
Don't go through life with that attitude."
Life teaches you lessons in surprising ways
and when you least e xp e ct it. One o f the most
im portant lessons I ever learned came from
a sheet o f paper and a black dot. Th ey may
seem like sm all things, but they were enough
to prom pt big chan ges in my outlook on life.
Kofi Annan Ghanaian ex-Secretary-General of the
United Nations

18

Mitsuko Uchida Japanese classical pianist

On wet days there was Mathilde. Mathilde
w as a large Am erican rocking horse that had
been given to my siste r and brother when
they were children in Am erica. Mathilde had
a splendid action — much better than that of
any English rocking horse I have ever known.

She sprang forw ard and back, up and down,
and ridden at full pressure was liable to
unseat you. Her springs, which needed oiling,
made a te rrific groaning, and added to the
pleasure and danger. Splendid exercise again.
No w onder I was a skinny child.
Agatha Christie British author of detective fiction
miasma /mahezma/ a mass o f dirty, bad-smelling air (used metaphorically
here) (Para 5)

bucks dollars (Para 7)
scrub board a handheld washboard, used to help in cleaning clothes
(Para 7)


L E X I S IN C O N T E X T

d Read the extracts again and answer the questions.
1 What was C .S. Lewis most afraid of?

b Read the texts again carefully. Find a synonym in
each paragraph fo r...
1 __________________ (literary) ghosts
2 __________________ attitude toward
3 __________________ profitable
4 __________________ (old-fashioned) excellent
__________________ likely to
__________________ it's not surprising
__________________ (inform al usually
disapproving) very thin

5 __________________ unhappiness
6 __________________ (formal) tell off
7 __________________ to mix with liquid
A good dictionary will give information about the
register o f a word, e .g fo r m a l inform al literary, oldfashioned, taboo, etc. When you record new
vocabulary, write down this information, too.
c Choose five more words or phrases from the text
which you think are useful.

2 How do you think the lesson changed Kofi Arman's outlook on life?
3 Where did jung Chang get her idea that the West was very poor?
4 Why was Agatha Christie’s rocking horse better than an
English one?
5 What did Mitsuko Uchida’s parents want her to do with her life?
6 How did Anais Nin's parents react when she tried to run away?
7 Why didn’t Sidney Poitier's mother use a scrub board to do
her washing?
e W ith a partner cover the extracts and look at the headings.
Try to remember what each writer said. Which paragraph
reminds you most o f your own childhood? Why?

2 G RA M M A R the past: narrative tenses, used
to, and would
a Look at the paragraphs again. W hich ones are about...?
1 specific incidents in the past
2 repeated or habitual actions in the past

A s a child, my idea o f the West was that
it was a miasma o f p o verty and misery,
like that o f the hom eless "Little Match

Girl" in the Hans Christian Andersen
story. When I was at boarding school
and did not want to fin ish my food,
the teacher would say, "Think o f all
the starvin g children in the capitalist
world."
Jung Chang Chinese author of Wild Swans

My fam ily still laughs at the story,
which I rem ember well, o f when I was
five years old in Berlin, and arranged to
run away with a little boy because I had
been scolded. Th ey w atched me pack
my clothes and go down the stairs.
The little boy, six or seven, w as waiting
around the corner.
AnaYs Nin French author

My mother used to take me with her
into the w oods, to ponds where she
would do her w ashing. There used to
be a soap called O ctagon that came in
an e ight-sided bar, and she used to use
that to get to the d irt in the clothing.
Som e people who had a few bucks, they
had a scrub board, but she didn't. She
would beat the clothing on the rock
until the d irt would so rt of dissolve and
float out. We would be gone m ost of the
day on those days when she washed.

Sidney Poitier American actor

b Look at the verbs in paragraphs 6 and 7 again. W hat three past
tenses are used to describe the incident in paragraph 6? What
verb forms are used to show that the actions were habitual or
repeated in 7?
c

p.141 G ram m ar B an k 2B. Learn more about narrative
tenses, and practice them.

3 S P E A K IN G & W RITIN G
a

1 21))) Listen to five people starting to talk about their childhood.
What are the different expressions they use to say (approximately)
how old they were at the time?

b Look at the headings in exercise l a . W ith a partner, for each
heading talk about things you habitually did or felt in your
childhood.
When I was little I used to be terrified of the dark,
and I’d always sleep with the light on...

c Now take turns to choose a heading and talk about a specific
incident from your childhood.
I remember the time when we went
on our first family vacation abroad...

d Imagine you were asked to contribute to a book o f childhood

recollections. Choose one o f the headings and write a paragraph
either about a specific incident in your childhood, or about
things that happened habitually.
e > - p. 106 W riting An article. Analyze an article about
childhood and write an article for an online magazine.

Online Practice

2B

19


4 L IS T E N IN G & S P E A K IN G
a

1 22))) Listen to five people talking about their earliest memory. Match the speakers to the emotion they felt at the time.
surprise

sadness

fear

disappointment

b Listen again. How old was each person? W hat was
their memory?
c Now you're going to hear about some research that
has been done on first memories. Before you listen,
discuss the following questions with a partner.

1 How far back in our lives can we usually remember?
a To when we were a baby (0-2 years old)
b To when we were a toddler (2 -4 years)
c To when we were a small child (5+)
2 Why can’t we remember things before that age?
3 What kinds o f a) emotions and b) events might people be
more likely to remember?
4 Are our first memories mostlv
visual or o f sounds and smells?
J
5 Why might some people’s first memories be unreliable?
d

20

1 23))) Listen and check your answers with what the
speaker says. Were you surprised by anything?

e

happiness

1 24))) Now listen to the story o f Jean Piaget's first
memory and write down what you think are the key words.
Listen again and try to add more detail. Compare your
words with a partner and then together retell the story.

f Talk to a partner.
Do you have any very early memories o f the feelings or
incidents below? Do you know approximately how old

you were at the time?
feeling surprised
feeling pain
feeling sham e or em barrassm ent
the birth of a brother or sister
a day out
m anaging to do som ething for the first time
the death of a pet
a festival or celebration
gettin g a wonderful or disappointing present


5 V O C A B U L A R Y & PR O N U N C IA TIO N
word building: abstract nouns; word stress with suffixes
An abstract noun is one that is used to express an idea, a concept, an experience, or
a quality, rather than an object. Embarrassment and memory are abstract nouns,
whereas bed and pants are not. Some abstract nouns are uncountable in English,
but may not be in your language, e.g., knowledge.
a Make abstract nouns from the words below and put them in the right columns.
adult
dead
lose

b

afraid
ashamed
free
friend
member neighbor

believe
happy
partner

bored celebrate child
hate imagine
sick
poor relation
sad

compete
kind
wise

+hood

+ship

+dom

-ı-ness

+tion

word changes

1 25))) Underline the stressed syllable in these words. Listen and check.
Which ending(s) cause(s) a change in stress?
1 adult adulthood

2 celebrate celebration
3 compete competition

4 free freedom
5 happy happiness
6 relation relationship

c With a partner, guess which o f the abstract nouns in a is missing from
each quotation.
1

Love, friendship and re sp e ct do not unite people a s m uch a s a
com m on
for so m e th in g. W

Anton Chekhov, Russian writer

2 66________ ___is, o f all passions, th at which w eakens the judgem ent most.
Cardinal de Retz, French clergyman and writer
3

To be w ithout so m e o f th e th in g s you w a n t is an in d isp e n sa b le part o f

Bertrand Russell, British philosopher
4

________

is m ore im portant th a n know ledge.

Albert Einstein, physicist
5

Overcom ing___________ is not a gesture o f charity. It is an a ct o f justice.
Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa

6

Th ere are only tw o e m o tio n s in a plane:
Orson Welles, US movie director

7:

I enjoy convalescence. It is the part th a t m a ke s___________ worthwhile.
George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist

8

and terror. ? ?

The enem ies o f ___________ do not argue. They shout and they shoot.
William Inge, British clergyman and writer

d Say in your own words what the quotations mean. Do you agree with them?

6

fi,'26»)

S O N G Kid JO

Online Practice

2B

21


1&2

Review and Check

G RAM M AR

V O C A B U LA R Y

a Complete the sentences with one word.

a Complete the idioms.

1 Everybody seemed to enjoy the barbecue even______
the weather wasn’t very warm.
2 Will the person who left one o f______personal belongings
at the security check please go hack and collect it?
3 When I was little, my family______spend summers at a
cottage by the sea.
4 This street looks so different from when I was a child.
Didn't______use to be a candy store on the corner?
5 If we lived closer t o ______another, we would probably
spend more time together.
6 The Chinese economy is growing, and______a result

the standard o f living in China is rising.
7 Sun-mee always seems pretty reserved to me — she never
talks about______
8 She wore a baggy dress______people wouldn't notice
that she had put on weight.
9 We need t o ______the heating system repaired soon,
before it starts getting cold.
10 We were very delayed______of an accident on the highway.

b Rewrite the sentences using the b o ld word(s).
1 I broke my glasses. I need to pay someone to repair
them. HAVE
I broke my glasses. I need__________________
2 If you learn a few phrases, the local people will
appreciate it. O N E
__________________ the local people will appreciate it.
3 They managed to get to the meeting on time even
though the traffic was heavy. D E S P IT E
They managed to get to the meeting on time
4

It was foggy, so the flight was canceled. D U E
The flight__________________
5 Jane sees Martha about twice a month. EA C H
Jane and Martha__________________ about twice a month.
6 The children managed to wrap the present on their own. BY
The children managed to wrap the present

22

7 The last time 1 saw him was in 1998. SE E N
I __________________ 1998.
8 She wore dark glasses so that she wouldn't be recognized.
S O AS
She wore dark glasses__________________
9 If we buy a dishwasher, it won't be necessary to do the
dishes. HAVE
If we buy a dishwasher__________________
10 I can't believe the risks I itsed to take when I was younger.
W O ULD
I can’t believe the risks__________________ when I
was younger.

1 I know' you don’t want my mother to come and stay, but
you’ll just have to grit your______and put up with it.
2 Don’t worry about what other people think. You need
to know your own______
3 He’s got a terrible temper. In fact it must______in the
family, because his dad’s just the same.
4 Maria definitely wears th e______in that family. Tom
lets her walk all over him.
5 I know I’m right and even if everyone in the company
disagrees I’m going to stick to my______!
6 My brothers are always getting into arguments. In fact
they're not on speaking______at the moment.
b Circle the right word.
1
2
3
4

She’d like to have a career /profession in show business.
It's a part-time /temporary job — I only work mornings.
Your sisters are so like /alike — they could be twins!
My father remarried and had two girls with his second
wife, so I have two half-sisters /stepsisters.
5 She doesn't take after /look like either o f her parents.
She’s very reserved, and they're both really outgoing.
6 “Pay” is a synonym /metaphor for “salary,” but it's more
informal.
c Complete with the right preposition or adverb.
1 W ho’s in charge______the sales conference this year?
2 She's been______school for such a long time it will be
hard to catch______with the others when she goes back.
3 My mother was very sick when I was a child so I was
mainly brought______by my grandmother.
4 Can we put the meeting______till next week? 1 have
too much work at the moment.
5 If you go and talk to Elena, she'll fill you______on how
the sales campaign has gone.
6 I think we need to deal______this situation head
______ It’s no good just hoping it will go away.
d Complete the sentences with an adjective or noun
formed from the bold word.
1 I wish there were a few more good restaurants in our
N E IG H B O R
2 She has a terrible______o f the dark. She has to sleep
with the lights on. A FR A ID
3 Don’t let this misunderstanding get in the way o f our
F R IE N D

4 I'm so sorry for your______ L O S E
5 _____ o f speech is one o f the most basic human rights.
FREE
6 My mother always gave me good advice with her words
o f______ W IS E


C A N Y O U U N D E R S T A N D T H IS T E X T ?
a

Do you think being bilingual is an advantage or a
disadvantage? Why?

b Read the article. Then mark the sentences T (true) or F
(false).
1 There are fewer job opportunities for monolingual workers.
2 On average, people who speak more than one language
earn more money.
3 Most job recruiters think it's important to be bilingual.
4 At the Willard Hotel, some positions require
bilingualism.
5 Willard Hotel employees applying for management jobs
have an advantage if they are bilingual.
6 Mandarin is considered the business language rather
than Cantonese.
7 People who speak both English and Spanish are most
likely to be hired.
8 Mainly service industries need bilingual employees.
c

Read the article again. Choose five new words or
phrases. Check their meaning and pronunciation and try
to learn them.

C A N YO U U N D ER STA N D T H IS PROGRAM ?
a

W hich o f the following statements about bilingualism
do you think are true?
] More than half the world’s children grow up speaking
two or more languages.
I I Being bilingual strengthens the brain.
] Learning more than one language at a time is confusing
to children.
i I Children who are exposed to two languages fall behind
monolingual children at school.
j For bilinguals, the brain keeps the two languages separate.
3 1 Bilingual speakers’ brains perform mental exercises all
the time.
] When bilingual speakers get older, they lose their mental
abilities faster than people who speak only one language.

H ow Being B ilingual Can Boost
Tour Career
W hether you’re fresh out
of college or a seasoned
executive, insiders agree
that fluency in a second
language can not only
help you stand out among

prospective employers,
it can also open doors to
opportunities that those
w ithout foreign language skills m ight miss.
In today's global economy, the ability to com m unicate in another
language has become a significant advantage in the workforce.
Research has found that people who speak at least one foreign
language have an average annual household income that’s
$10,000 higher than the household income o f those who only
speak English. And about 17 percent of those who speak at least
one foreign language earn more than $100,000 a year.
A recent survey found that nearly 9 out of 10 headhunters in
Europe, Latin Am erica, and Asia say that being at least bilingual
is critical for success in today’s business environm ent. And
66 percent of North Am erican recruiters agreed that being
bilingual will be increasingly im portant in the next 10 years.
“In today’s global econom y you really have to understand the
way business is done overseas to m axim ize your potential. A
second language equips you for that,” says A lister Wellesley,
m anaging partner o f a Connecticut-based recruiting firm . “If
you’re doing business overseas, or with som eone from overseas,
you obtain a certain degree of respect if you’re able to talk in
their native language.”
Language skills can also be key for service industries. At the
Willard InterContinental W ashington, a luxury hotel a few
blocks from the W hite House, a sta ff o f about 570 represents
42 nations, speaking 19 languages. The W illard's front-of-house
employees such as the concierge speak at least two languages.
Bilingualism is not an absolute requirem ent, but it is desirable,
according to Wendi Colby, director o f human resources.

Workers with skills in a second language may have an edge when
it comes to climbing Willard's professional ladder. "The individual
that spoke more languages would have a better chance for a
managerial role, whatever the next level would b e t Colby says.
“They are able to deal with a wide array of clients, employees.”

b

127))) Now listen to a radio program about bilingualism
and check your answers to a. Were you right?

So which languages can give you a leg up on the job market?
Insiders agree the most popular - and marketable - languages
are Spanish, German, French, Italian, Russian and Japanese, with a
growing emphasis on Mandarin, given China's booming economy.

c

Do you know anyone who grew up bilingual? Does that
person have any o f the characteristics described in the
program? W hich ones?

“We see demand from a full range o f industries,” says Wellesley.
“It really depends on which com pany you're w orking for and the
country in which they’re located."

Online Practice


G get

V p h ra se s w ith get
P w o rd s and p h ra se s o f Fre n ch origin

D o n't g e t mad, g e t everything.
Ivana, ex-wife o f millionaire

Don’t get mad, get even!
1 R E A D IN G & S P E A K IN G
a

Read 10 top breakup lines from a website.
Which one do you think is the best /worst
way o f starting a breakup conversation?
“We need to ta lk.”
“It’s not you; it’s me.”
“When I said I w as working late, I w as lying.”
“Do you rem em ber w hen I said th a t
e verything w a s a ll right...?”
“You are like a brother / s is te r to me.”
“I th in k w e’d be b e tte r o ff a s friends.”
"I don’t love you anym ore.”
“I need so m e tim e to be on m y own.”
“You’re a fa n ta stic person, but you’re too
go od for me.”
“C an I have m y keys back, p le a se ? ”

b Now read three true stories about people
getting revenge on a former partner.
Answer the questions with a partner.
W hose revenge do you think w as...?

1 the most ingenious
2 the most satisfying
3 the most embarrassing for the person it
was done to
4 the least justifiable
5 the most likely to have a long-lasting effect

L E X I S IN C O N T E X T

24

c

Read the stories again and choose the
right word or phrase for gaps 1-12.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

a

a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a

rejected
turning
praised
replaced
unwillingly
stuck
invented
peak
get over
find
reciprocal
smoke

b
b
b
b
b

b
b
b
b
b
b
b

dumped
purring
blamed
substituted
obviously
attached
created
top
get back
make
mutual
fuel

c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c

c
c
c

broke up
creating
ridiculed
revived
unbearably
posted
made up
crowning
get rid of
take
shared
gasoline

Donald Trump, giving
advice to wronged wives

50 w ays to say
“Revenge may be wicked, but it’s natural” according to 19th
century British novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, and
it remains as true today as it was then.
n
™

1

•

f hat do you do when love has run its course? How do you say “it's over'?
According to the music band Train, there are “50 ways to say goodbye/
and singer Paul Simon sings, There must be 50 ways to leave your lover.”
Some years ago, fellow singer Phil Collins infamously 1______ his second wife by fax.
In these more technologically advanced days, the Finnish Prime Minister recently sent a
breakup message via text message. Less cowardly is the face-to-face approach (“We need
to talk" / ’Th is just isn’t working" / “I love you like a friend/’ etc.).
When Frenchwoman Sophie Calle received an email on her cell phone, she was
devastated to discover that it was a message of adieu in which her partner claimed that
the breakup would “hurt me more than it will hurt you." Here is a short extract:
"Whatever happens, you must know that I will never stop loving you in my own way —
the way fve loved you ever since fve known you, which will stay part of me, and never
die...I wish things had turned out differently. Take care of yourself...”
With hindsight, the man almost certainly wishes that he had followed his first instinct (“It
seems to me it would be better to say what I have to say to you face-to-face"), particularly
as the woman he was dumping is a conceptual artist who specializes in 2______ private
pain into art. And that is exactly what she did with her “Dear Sophie" email.
Too heartbroken to reply, she decided she would "take care o f herself’ by sending
the man’s email to 107 women (including an actress, a poet, a ballet dancer, a singer,
a novelist, a psychotherapist, an etiquette consultant, an editor, a policewoman, and
even a student). She asked all of them to read the email and to analyze it or interpret
it according to their job while she filmed or photographed the result. The psychiatrist
concluded that the man was a “twisted manipulator while the etiquette consultant
criticized his manners, and the editor 3______ his grammar and syntax.
‘The idea came to me very quickly. At first it was therapy, then art took over. After a
month, I had gotten over him. There was no suffering. The project had 4______ the man."
The resulting exhibition “Tenez soin de vows” (‘Take care of yourself) was put on at
the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris and was later a huge success at the Venice Biennale. And
after becoming, 5______ , the notorious “star" of an exhibition, it’s a sure bet that when

Sophie’s ex-lover dumps his girlfriends in the future, he will never ever say, “Take care
o f yourself.”

VV